Imagine losing 14-21% of your hard-earned revenue without even knowing it. That's the reality publishers face with dark traffic. But what exactly is this shadowy menace?
In this article, we'll explain what dark traffic is, how it affects your income, and give you practical tips to regain lost revenue. Get ready as we take you through the twists and turns of the adblocking and dark traffic, helping you understand and deal with this issue.
The adblocking saga
Remember the days when adblocking seemed like the ultimate enemy of digital publishing? It was a time when the mere mention of adblockers sent shivers down the spines of publishers worldwide.
But times have changed. Adblocking, once perceived as an existential crisis, has taken a back seat. Why the shift?
Consumers have become less reliant on adblockers, and mitigation strategies like the Acceptable Ads standard and adblock walls have helped ease the revenue pinch. Meanwhile, other pressing issues like signal loss and traffic decline have grabbed the headlines, making adblocking seem like a minor inconvenience that can be easily managed with a digital band-aid.
The red pill or the blue pill?
Now, let's look into the heart of the matter. Imagine you're at a crossroads, facing a choice between two pills. If you take the blue pill, you'll return to the comforting familiarity of your Google Ad Manager dashboard, believing everything is under control. But if you choose the red pill, you'll start your journey into the blocked web, uncovering the hidden depths of the revenue gap that dark traffic creates.
The reality of dark traffic
Here's a stark reality: a large portion of your adblocking audience is completely invisible to you. They don't show up in Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or any of your in-house reports. This is what we call dark traffic — real people, not bots, who are slipping under the radar thanks to a new breed of adblocking software.
We're not talking about a small fraction here. On average, 14-21% of your total audience is this unmeasured dark traffic. To put it another way, the adblocking audience you think you're tracking is just a mere 20-30% of the actual figure.
Is this a bad thing? It's a bit of both. On one hand, you have a hidden audience of regular folks with disposable income — people who buy products and engage with content. On the other hand, they're unmeasured and, more importantly, unmonetized. This new generation of "brutal adblockers" doesn't just block analytics; it also shuts out Acceptable Ads, adblock walls, cookie banners, and even your in-house promotions like newsletter sign-ups.
The evolution of adblocking
To understand the current landscape, let's take a brief walk down memory lane. Historically, adblockers like AdBlock and Adblock Plus, owned by Eyeo, were the dominant forces in the industry. They were somewhat publisher-friendly, allowing certain analytics and ads through their Acceptable Ads program. But their dominance has waned significantly. In 2015, they controlled over 80% of adblocked pageviews. Now, that figure has plummeted to around 25-30%.
So, who's filling the gap? Enter the brutal adblockers. There are now over 700 million dark traffic users globally, a surge largely fueled by the post-COVID digital landscape.
This shift represents the open web's inconvenient truth, one that publishers can no longer afford to ignore.
Brutal adblockers
The adblocking market has become a fragmented landscape with numerous players. Adblocking software is now available through various channels, including built-in browsers, operating system applications, VPNs, and even at the network level. Names like AdGuard, uBlock Origin, and Brave are leading the charge, catering to users dissatisfied with the limitations of traditional adblockers.
These brutal adblockers have found eager user bases who are looking for more aggressive adblocking solutions. Unlike their predecessors, they don't play by the same rules, making them a formidable challenge for publishers.
The cause of dark traffic
When industry insiders talk about "adblockers" today, they often refer to browser extensions like AdBlock and Adblock Plus. Owned by Eyeo, these adblockers were the driving force behind mainstream adblocking adoption from 2013 to 2019. They were known for being somewhat hospitable to publishers, albeit for self-serving reasons. For example, Eyeo set up the Acceptable Ads program, allowing publishers to run analytics, adblock walls, and cookie banners. For this reason, we refer to them as "soft adblockers."
Although soft adblockers have grown in usage, they've dramatically lost market share. In 2015, AdBlock and Adblock Plus commanded over 80% of adblocked pageviews online. Today, it’s in the region of 25-30%. This means that only a fraction of your adblocked audience will see Acceptable Ads.
So, what about the other 70%+? You guessed it: the brutal adblockers causing dark traffic. This significant portion of your audience is slipping through the cracks, creating a substantial revenue gap.
It's time to acknowledge that we are in a new era. An era where the terms of the adblockers themselves have fundamentally changed. Eyeo, through AdBlock and Adblock Plus, is no longer the main stakeholder and intermediary to which publishers can reach a value exchange compromise with adblocking users. Nor are other methodologies, like adblock walls, effective if blocked.
This new era demands a fresh perspective on adblocking. Publishers need to build direct relationships with users of brutal adblocking software and reintroduce sustainable monetization mechanisms.
Finding sustainable solutions
Realistically, micropayments and subscriptions aren’t going to work for most publishers. The only viable option is to reintroduce ads using resilient ad delivery that doesn’t get blocked. Today, it is possible to do this — to restore a publisher’s ad stack to brutal adblocking users with ads that users find agreeable and user-centric.
That may sound like a contradiction, but it is not. As Eyeo has proven with Acceptable Ads for its soft adblockers, users do not have binary preferences: ads or no ads. Instead, they are open to seeing non-interruptive ads if those are the terms presented to them.
Brutal adblocking users are no different. There’s a clear distinction between the software and the people using it. One is not reflective of the other. While brutal adblocking software is extreme in what it blocks on publisher websites, its users are regular people. They’re not fanatics. They’re teachers, accountants, students, and doctors. Sometimes, they are using a brutal adblocker by default (e.g., it runs on their employer’s network), and sometimes, it’s because they can. (Spoiler: most people would rather not see ads if that’s an option.)
The path forward
Publishers that can directly control the terms of their advertising experience while preserving their readers’ preferences and trust will win. This involves understanding the nuances of the new adblocking landscape, leveraging technology to deliver non-intrusive ads, and fostering a transparent relationship with your audience.
By embracing this approach, you can turn the tide against dark traffic, reclaim lost revenue, and build a more sustainable and user-friendly digital ecosystem.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! Dark traffic might be quietly taking away 14-21% of your revenue, but it’s not an unsolvable problem. By understanding what dark traffic is and how it works, you can take steps to get back what you’ve lost.
Think of it this way: you’re not just dealing with a tech issue; you’re reconnecting with a hidden group of real people who are still interested in your content. Whether they use brutal adblockers by choice or by default, they’re out there, and they matter.
The good news? You don’t have to face this alone. With the right strategies and tools, you can outsmart the adblockers and create a win-win situation. Use non-intrusive ads, build strong relationships with your audience, and use technology to make sure your content stays profitable and enjoyable. It's time to take control and rewrite the rules of the game.
